Eternal City

Today sees us in the Eternal City, seeped in history where gladiators once fought to the death something Russel Crow knows a bit about. A few pennies into the famous fountain above will make sure you return, or so the saying goes.

Despite visiting this City many times there is always something new to see and I never tire or returning be it for a week or a day. It really is my favourite Capital City in the World.

On to challenges now, first Polkadoodles where the boss Nikky has set our challenge and wants us to make something generic that will work for a male or female. She also wants us to use at least two Polkadoodle products on our project.

So I have made a word book spelling BIRTHDAY which I created on the Cricut using the DS and Plantin Schoolbook cartridge. I selected coordinating papers from Candy Doodles CD.........I just love this lime and black combo. I stamped the ladybird trail from the unmounted stamp set several times, cut into strips and ran them across the bottom of each page.

The greeting on the front is from the new Paper Boutique Christmas CD, I used the Zutter to create a spine and tied it with cord and raffia.........I am really pleased with myself as I just knew this lovely lime coloured raffia from the wrapping on some flowers months ago would come in useful one day.

Next candy clue is tomorrow...........half way there now.

A spot of footie

A typical sight in Les Ramblas

You don't have to be a footie fanatic to guess this one, just put Nou Camp into Google and it will tell you which City we are in today.

I would really love to go to a game there, but it's out of season so I won't be lucky this trip, but there is plenty to see in this beautiful City including Gaudi's unfinished work, the Sagrada Família below and all the local colour of Les Ramblas.

Tonight it's onwards to Italy for Friday and my favourite Capital City in the World when I'll have another clue for you.

Monkeys on a Rock

British Policemen, Monsoon and Marks and Sparks on a huge rock and only a few miles from the African coast, oh and Duty Free and a colony of famous monkeys. It's a day to meet up with a blogging friend living in the Mediterranean sun. Where could we be today, easy peasy.

Details of what you need to do to win the candy at the top of my blog.

Tune back in tomorrow to guess our next stop in the sunshine.

Bridges and Statues

Your next clue in the candy run.......details of how to enter at the top of my blog.......is to guess the City we will be visiting as we pass under the bridge in the picture above.

It's one of the largest suspension bridges in the World and spans the Tagus River, it is an almost carbon copy of the Golden Gate Bridge. Alongside it is The Statue of Christ Cristo Rei, a replica of the Statue of Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado in Rio de Janiero. Now this one is really easy isn't it ?

We've been here lots of times so this year we will probably stay on the boat and take in the rays on our balcony, with the obligatory glass or two of something of course.

Another day at sea tomorrow so the next clue with be on Wednesday 28th when we will be getting all Colonial......there might be an advance clue there ?

Spanish clues and a baby card

Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela de Vigo

Happy Saturday everyone and as promised, here is the first of the clues for those of you who want to try your hand at winning one of my candy selections......four of them on offer and details of how to enter in the post at the top of my blog.

This first one is a bit tough, but I promise you they get easier, this place was a very difficult one to find clues for. It's a Spanish coastal City on the tip of Northern Spain but just a few miles for Portugal's Atlantic coast, beginning with 'V' ending in 'O' - it's the largest City in Galicia with a population of 300,000 and is the site if the magnificent cathedral pictured above........the clues in the name !

Now onto Allsorts new challenge which has been set by the lovely Amanda this week and she would like to see cards for a baby or child.

Before I tell you about my card, don't forget there is still a few days left to join in our brand new monthly challenge Penny Black at Allsorts where the theme this month is A Burst of Summer Colour.

I have gone Penny Black again, but the stamp is from an unmounted set and I have lost the code I am afraid, but I am pretty sure it is still available as a wood mounted stamp if not in the unmounted set.

I coloured the image with Copics, added a border punched with Martha Stewart embossed scallop from a piece of DP from stash, a couple of stamped butterflies and a computer generated greeting.

Your next candy clue will be on Monday 26th as we are at sea tomorrow.

De Jas Vous

Hello everyone, another quick share. Dare I say that the packing is no further forward than yesterday, lots of little piles scattered across the dressing room but that's about it.

Sods law we have been really busy at work and it was nine before I finished last night and this morning had been earmarked to take Anysia to college to see the one and only Mary King do a fantastic masterclass......it's not every day you get to see an Olympic multi gold medal winner in the flesh and for Anysia who has only just got the OK from the hospital to start gentle riding again, it was a not to be missed occasion.

Hands up that my card may well yell de jas vous at lots of you, but I had the image all coloured up so went with it. But the colours are different from yesterdays card, so I figure that counts as different enough.

The image is one of the lovely Sweet Pea stamps.......I had a little delivery this morning, part the prize I won from Crafts and Me plus one or two I 'needed', but stamping them up will have to wait until after our hols. Finding Crafts and Me led me to their challenge which is new to me, they have a great sketch this week which I followed for my card.

The image is coloured with Copics, the DP Basic Grey, borders punched with Martha Stewart garden trellis and the peach rose is Magnolia. Liberal helpings of glitter and another rather too speedy card, but needs must and packing is essential else I shall end up with half of what I need never making it to the boat.

My card is for the following challenges:

Crafts and Me - Sketch

Belli Challenge - Something that moves (fairies wings)

Creative Cottage - Touchy Feely, texture, ribbons, flowers

Wild Flower Patch - Lace and Sparkle

Don't forget that I have a very special post scheduled for Friday, a little treat for you all when I am away.

Busy packing and a bit of craft

How is everyone, enjoying this weather I hope.......we never did get any volume of the rain we were promised here in the Fens so the paddocks are still parched and the garden looks pretty sorry for itself.

The last few days have flown by, a bit of crafting, a lot of work in the office and a tiny bit of packing sums it up really. But this time next week I should be lazing in the sun, glass in hand. As I told you last week I have a surprise or two lined up for you when I am away so don't forget to keep your eyes peeled on Friday to see what's in store.

I have a card for a challenge or two, it was the perfect opportunity to colour up one of the lovely images my buddy Sarah sent me using one of the beautiful Sweet Pea images. I coloured with Copics, used Kaiser DP and created the easel card on the Cricut DS. The border is punched with Martha Stewart eyelet lace, some lace, gems and roses and the obligatory liberal helping of glitter to the fairy and flower and there you have it. A really quick and easy card thanks to Sarah.

Cupcake Challenge - Cats and Dogs
Crafty Cardmakers - Easel card

Craft Den - Sparkle and Shine

Summer Days and Puppy Update

Before I tell you about our new challenge at Allsorts this week which is being hosted by Debs, a reminder about our new challenge Penny Black at Allsorts where there are three prizes on offer this month. If you have not already been over to the challenge blog please pop over and check out this months theme. And as well as the prizes on offer, one lucky person will be selected to join us as a Guest Designer for September.

This week Debs would like to see "Summer Days" depicted on your projects. So many options here, flowers, bright sunny days, the seaside, show us what it means to you.

An easel card from me, still a firm favourite. My main image is the super sweet Penny Black 4076K Gift of Flowers which I have coloured with Copics and decoupaged with three layers. The DP is Magnolia and the border punched from bazzil cardstock using Martha Steward garden trellis. The leaves in the corner are a sizzix die run through the Big Shot and some flower added. A couple of tags with Rubber Tapestry sentiments stamped on them, some cord and Magnolia gem leaves on the bottom.

This card is also for the following challenges:

Charisma - Pink

Project Tuesday - Easel card

Karens Doodles UK - Shaped card

For Fun Challenge - Favourite colouring technique

Stampman - Anything goes

Crafty Calendar - Summer

By the Cute and Girly - Warm summer days

And at Polkadoodles there is some exciting news that we will be announcing on Friday 23rd July about our totally fantastic competition we are hosting...we have some fantastic prizes in conjunction with a leading UK manufacturer, so make sure you check it out, you really will not want to miss out.

And this weeks theme has been set by Lou who wants us to use the Fairy Flutterby stamps to create our whole project, not even and papers. This is the sort of card I love making and started by creating a resist background with butterfly and flower stamps from Meechele Fairy Flutterby set using distress inks. The main image is Fairy Flutterby Gracie, coloured with Copics and decoupaged, Martha Stewart border and corner, flowers and pearls to embellish.

This is also my entry for the following challenges:

Flutterby Wednesday - three layers (fairy has three and butterflies on background)

C.R.A.F.T - Children

STampavie - Anything goes

Creatalicious - 3D (fairy)

And finally another peek at our new babies, Lily using Daisy as a pillow. Almost four weeks old in this picture and we collect them on 14th August after our holiday when they will be eight weeks old.

More Molly Blooms

Hello everyone, hope you are all OK and like me getting ready for the long school holidays. We are counting the days here and so looking forward to our holiday, it's going to be a bit of a mad rush as the children break up from school next Wednesday which leaves just Thursday to do all the final preparations and packing as we go on Friday.

My bone graft seems to be working and the pain is sooooo much better.......I even managed to eat some fish yesterday, what a change from soup that made I can tell you. I have been really good and kept away from my computer as the lack of postings confirm, but I shall have something a bit special coming up for you next week.......candy is involved but there's a bit more to it than that, but you will have to wait to find out exactly what's in store, otherwise it won't be a surprise !

I have cards for a few challenges, the first one is the card at the top of this post which is for this weeks Papertake Weekly who's theme is In the Garden. The stamps are Hero Arts K5313 silhouette ivy and Penny Black 4040K sparklers stamped with Hero Arts chalk ink grass and punch. The mats were cut on Cricut storybook, the DP is Doodlebug and the corners a Sizzix die.

My next card is for Everybody Art Challenge who have the theme Holidays. I have used Molly Blooms at the seaside, coloured with Copics. The circles are cut with Nesties and the DP is nameless from my stash. The swirls my favourites Sizzix die and punched flowers added.

The new Molly Blooms stamps are just adorable, they are beautifully etched deep rubber, stamp fantastically and are available exclusively from Sir Stampalot.

My last card is for the following challenges:

My Time to Craft is Butterfly Bliss

Tuesday Taggers - Anniversary

It's a pretty simple make, a card with matching envie. The main panel is run through the Cuttlebug, corners cut from a Sizzix die, roses made from burgundy paper and edges glittered with iridescent embossing powder and the sentiment Penny Black 3851E. And punched glittered butterflies.

July Romance

New challenge time again at Allsorts and Polkadoodles.................sorry Nikky, this one should have gone up yesterday, you can send me to the naughty corner.

At Allsorts Helene is hosting the challenge this week and has selected the theme "July Love" and would like to see a heart on our work.

So I have gone all pink using my heart Nesties which never really got a proper airing when I bought them earlier this year. The sentiment is from a Hero unmounted set.......typical me as I no longer have the code and the swirl stamped onto the My Minds Eye DP is Hero F5042 leaf flourish. The border is Martha Stewart embossed hearts with some lace, flower a button and ribbon to embellish. A really quick and easy card.

On to Polkadoodles and my teamie Enfys has chosen a Summer theme at Polkadoodles this week, so lots of scope there to get the creative juices flowing. Butterflies spring to mind after flowers with me when I think Summer, so I have used the Heritage section of Back to Nature CD, one of my favourite collections on the CD.

I re-sized the paper to achieve smaller butterflies and printed onto acetate. The border is punched with Martha Steward embossed butterflies and the large butterfly is cut with a Cuttlebug cut and emboss die using a coordinating paper from the same collection. Ribbon and a beaded pin to embellish.

Butterflies and Birdies

Hello folks, still alive and kicking, just a bit slow and lacking in get up and go but my conscience is really pricking that I have done zilch on my blog for almost a week and apart from a bit of DT commenting no blogging whatsoever. But I do intend putting that right very soon, I promise.

I am all suitably grafted and everything crossed it's worked. Still high on the painkillers and antibiotics but when I come back down to ground I'm hoping the pain will be gone or at least eased and I will be able to eat properly again.......there's only so much soup a girl can take.

As you might guess, not must in the way of creativity going on here still, but I plan to have a go at some colouring later using the lovely Sweet Pea images my friend Sarah stamped and sent me and who knows, I might even get a card made.

There are some benefits to swanning about in a haze because even if I dare not blog for fear of all the typos I will make......I mean more than the normal 'adn' and the like these dysfunctional fingers of mine come up with......I can surf and I have come up with a few new challenges I can enter using some of already made Stampalot sample cards.

So here goes and the first one above fits this weeks Dutch Dare challenge who have the theme "Floral Inspiration"....you might guess I have a good few in my library that will fit this one. It also ties in with Flutterby Wednesdays open theme this week as there is the obligatory butterfly. And I hope Creative Card Crew's "To die for" as I have used Nesties for the mats.

The second card fits Tuesday Taggers "Make a Scene" and Charisma Cardz who's theme is "Watch the Bridie" on projects and I think it should fit ABC's new challenge which us "You and Me" and says "This can be either two images on a stamp or two stamps on a card" and there are several stamps in this one as well as the sweet pair of birdies. This one would equally fit Flutterby Wednesdays.

You are going to have to forgive me for not doing the recipes and make up details, getting this far doing the post has just about k-------- me, but if anyone wants to know any specific stamp details......most are Hero Arts, or anything else, please mail me.

Meet Daisy..............

Daisy aged 12 days old

Good Morning peeps, nothing crafty to share today although I did do a bit of crafting yesterday for some exciting new Polkadoodle products being launched later this month.......can't show yet, but they are scrummy I can tell you.

I may not be around a lot this week as they are talking about giving me a bone graft, so I will have to play things by ear. Don't much like the sound of it, but as my immune system is shot due to the combo of MS and Diabetes, I don't heal and they say it's the best way to deal with things. Of course I might get a nice surprise and it sorts everything out, the pain will go away and I will feel like crafting for England again.

So instead of crafty pictures, here is one of a young lady taken yesterday. She is twelve days old and is going to be called Daisy. She will be coming to live with us about 16th August and we are all mega excited.......another original Andrex puppy to add to the four legged gang that already own the household........I will share more photos next week after we have visited here and her eight brothers and sisters. By then their eyes should be open and they will be more mobile, at the moment it's all pretty wobbly stuff and they don't move far from Mum.

And don't forget the brand new Penny Black at Allsorts challenge where you can win some great prizes just be entering a card with a Summer theme.

Fantasy land

Happy Saturday crafters and it's time to share my latest creation for Allsorts challenge where it's my turn to host the theme again.

I am trying my very best to get my head round some crafting but as I am still having to go and have my dressing changed daily I'm finding it really difficult to settle to anything. And the painkillers and other drugs aren't exactly helping and I am totally phased half the time.......could say that's an ideal place to be, but unfortunately one needs to keep in touch with reality as well. I did get a lovely incentive yesterday though when I found out I had won last weeks Stamping For the Weekend challenge and a lovely Sweet Pea stamp. I've had my eye on these for a while so really looking forward to playing with it.

You all know how much I love creating little scenes with my stamps and this week I would like you do the same. It can be as simple or as complex as you like, just have fun and create.

Luckily I made this one a couple of weeks ago ready. I used some of my favourite Lavinia stamps onto a brayered background using Big and Juicy Hydrangea, masking a moon to create some depth to my card. I sponged in some misty clouds and hills and highlighted some of the flowers and leaves with a white pen and some glitter to the fairies wings.

Ultimate Floral Fantasy

My first post in almost a week, don't think it's ever been that long but I just have not been up to blogging, crafting or anything much at all since last week. Probably predictably due to my lack of immune system I had problems after my mouth op last week and despite antibiotics the infection went rampant. Weekend in hospital and the result is that I am utterly shattered and feel less than human......whatever human may be.

And on top of all that, Bernie had to have an emergency op Monday for an ulcerated eye. St Bernard's are prone to eye problems, but this all happened so quickly and he was sent to the Animal Health Trust at Newmarket........that is one amazing place with some of the top guys in the veterinary world. One of the Labs and Dobies were treated there a few years ago and they did a fantastic job on them both, I can't praise them enough. Bernie came home yesterday.......can you visualise a St Bernard size buster collar ?

So a dilemma deciding how to deal with today's postings as being the first of the month it's a new challenge at Stampalot and also the launch day of our Penny Black at Allsorts challenge. So please forgive me everyone, but it's all loaded into this post which might even make it easier for all you peeps to read what is going on. Here is what we have lined up this month:

Stampalot Challenge: Lazy Hazy Summer Days

Penny Black at Allsorts Challenge: A Burst of Summer Colour

Writing this up I realise the themes are a bit repetitive with me stamped over them........oh dear what a pun, but there are so many ways you can interpret both themes. So please do click on the links and pop over to the challenge blogs and check out the fabulous prizes to be won this month and see all the wonderfully inspirational work the Design Teams have created.

And don't forget to visit both of the fabulous sponsors, Sir Stampalot and Penny Black where you can check out all the latest and best in all things crafty.

I realise that I have gone Penny Black nearly all the way and both cards could fit either challenge, but my first is for Stampalot Challenge using Penny Black 3815J love blush, quite an old stamp but one I use time and again. Roses epitomise a Summers day for me and I think this goes back to my childhood and the wonderful perfume that came from the Albertine climbers my Dad had over arched trellises coming up the front garden pathway.

He used to graft many of his own plants and a few years after I married he grafted a couple of Albertine roses for me and they are still growing in my garden today, a wonderful reminder that Dad is still close to me.

I stamped simply with versafine black onto linen cardstock, embossed with detail clear and coloured with Prismacolor pens and covered with Diamond Glaze. The mat is punched with Martha Stewart round the page 3 dot scallop. The background is repeat stamped and embossed with detail clear with Hero CG179 rose background and coloured with the same pens. Three handmade roses, punched leaves and butterflies and some pearls to embellish.

This card is also my entry for this weeks Ooh la la challenge who's theme is Simply Summer and Secret Crafter who have Strawberries and Cream as their theme.

My second card is for Penny Black at Allsorts and uses another one I adore Penny Black 4036K poppy poem. Poppies being another flower that I adore with their fresh vibrant colours, such a pity that each flowers lasts only a day or so.

I stamped a background using Tim Holtz fired brick and spritzed with water, before stamping the poppy and embossing with detail clear again. I coloured with the same TH ink and bundled sage and peeled paint for the leaves. I stamped the flower heads a few more times, colouring the same way, spritzed with Glimmer Mist pearl to shape before decoupaging them. The easel card was cur using Cricut Storybook, welding the shapes in Design Studio. The DP is one of the new Nitwit designs, the swirls are Magenta chipboard spritzed with Glimmer Mist red velvet. Buttons and punched butterflies to finish.

I am entering this card into this weeks Creative Card Crew challenge who would like to see Easel cards and Rosie D's and Everybody Art Challenges who have Summer Birthdays.

As soon as I feel up to it I will be doing my blog rounds, but in the meantime my apologies for being so tardy and sitting on my butt feeling a bit sorry for myself.